How Long Does Geotab Keep My Data?

Today, many people store a significant amount of important and valuable information on their computer, such as financial documents, childhood/family photos and movies, personal music collections, and more. This wealth of data should be – but is not usually – backed up and preserved in the event of unforeseen data loss, theft, or other unplanned events. Each day there are millions of data records passing through Geotab’s servers, such as GPS and engine data. This data is backed up on a regular basis and in several different ways. This article will provide an in-depth explanation of how frequently our Geotab data is backed up and how long the information is retained for.

Active MyGeotab Databases

In-use databases (with regular customer logins, active Geotab devices, etc.) are backed up nightly. In addition, the previous two days of backups are also stored on a server in a separate physical location. In the unlikely event of the loss of a server, the previous nightly backups can be brought online.

Inactive MyGeotab Databases

In an effort to conserve space and provide high server availability, databases that are not in use, such as inactive devices and empty databases, are permanently removed from MyGeotab servers after a period of 60 days.

Data Purging

Similar to the removal of empty, inactive databases in order to save space, Geotab customer data older than one year will be regularly purged from the database. This purge, along with database deletion, is done without prior notice to customers.

How Can I Keep My Data for Longer?

Customers wishing to keep their data for longer than the guaranteed one year period are free to and encouraged to use our built-in migration tools for archiving their data.

The current Export Database function in MyGeotab can be found by browsing to Administration, System, Export Database. It is here that you can control how much data is exported. Keep in mind that the database is suspended while it is being exported. Upon completion of an export, an email will be sent requesting the export with an attached .zip file containing the exported data.

In summary, Geotab is committed to taking care of your telematics data and providing outstanding uptime and data availability.

2 Comments

Under 395.8(k) Carriers are required to maintained and retained Records of Duty Status for a period of 6 months. Does the GeoTab system purge Records of Duty Status as they are not required to be retained after 6 months?

Geotab's blog posts are intended to provide information and encourage discussion on topics of interest to the telematics community at large. Geotab is not providing technical, professional or legal advice through these blog posts. While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this blog post is timely and accurate, errors and omissions may occur, and the information presented here may become out-of-date with the passage of time